US forward Findley to join Nottingham Forest

NOTTINGHAM, England 
American forward Robbie Findley will join English club Nottingham Forest if he is granted a British work permit.

Forest, which plays in the second-tier League Championship, announced Thursday that Findley will sign a 2 1/2-year contract.

The 25-year-old Findley was a free agent after leaving Real Salt Lake at the end of the Major League Soccer season.

"We had a lot of competition in the race to sign Robbie and there's no doubt that we had to work very, very hard to try and convince him this was the right place to come," Forest manager Billy Davies said.

"It's a great challenge for him and a great challenge for us as well but there's no doubt that he can score goals and, more importantly, with the pace he's got he can be a real handful."

Findley has no goals in 11 appearances for the U.S. national team and started three matches at the World Cup in June.

Forest (7-4-9) is eighth in the Championship, four points shy of the promotion playoff berths.

The club, which is based in central England, won the European Champions Cup in 1979 and 1980.

Findley could be joined in England by World Cup teammate Edson Buddle, who has been on trial at Premier League club Birmingham. The Los Angeles Galaxy forward's hopes of securing a transfer depend on how successful Birmingham is in pursuit of its preferred striking options.

"He has gone back (to the U.S.) and we will keep the door open," Birmingham manager Alex McLeish said Thursday. "We are not in the position to make any offers at the moment because we are looking to try and bring a more-experienced player into the club. We've not closed the door. He did OK."